An Individual
by TheOnlyMarauderette
Summary: Just before POA. Remus isn't going to take the DADA job because of bad memories, but then he sees Harry from across Diagon Alley and realises something. Perhaps a bit sad. Not slash slight AU.


_**I don't own Harry Potter. I'm not sure if this should be considered AU or not, but it's probably extremely unlikely it happened. Hope you enjoy and it would be great if you reviewed.**_

Remus made his way down Diagon Alley, walking determinedly. He knew that if he gave what he was about to do a second thought, his resolve would vanish. He could barely hear his sure steps on the cobblestone. It was two weeks until the beginning of September and everyone was preparing for Hogwarts.

He was headed to the owl post office, to send Dumbledore the letter to tell him that he would not take the post of the Defence against the Dark Arts teacher. It wasn't that he didn't like the sound of teaching as a career, he would love to do it, it wasn't as if his lycanthropy would stop him, as Dumbledore had reassured him that Severus would brew the Wolfsbane Potion and it certainly wasn't that he didn't need the money. No, it was James' son, Harry that would make him unable him to carry out his dream of teaching.

Remus didn't hold it against the poor boy, no, that would be just cruel. He supposed it was his own fear and selfishness too.

Perhaps hoping to persuade him to take the job, Dumbledore had told him that Harry had looked just like James, but with Lily's eyes. It had the opposite effect on Remus. How could he spend an entire year looking at a double of one of his best friends? Who had another best friends eyes? Who was the godson of someone he thought he could trust?

So he was certain of his decision. Until he saw the boy outside Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour. He stopped dead, causing a group of elderly witches behind him to walk straight into him. Grumbling and shooting him dirty looks, they moved around him as he examined the features of the boy.

On first sight, the resemblance was shocking. The dark hair, the glasses that reminded him of his lost friend. The brilliant green eyes which brought to his mind the most intelligent red-head. The pain he felt as he looked at the child, who was devouring a chocolate sundae, oblivious to the man staring at him a good fifteen feet away, was astounding.

They say time heals all wounds and Remus already knew that to be a lie. He knew he would never forget his three best friends or Lily. But he knew that they were all lost, James, Lily and Peter dead, while Remus didn't even know who Sirius was anymore, so he tried to accept it and move on, but it never fully worked. But seeing Harry, it felt almost as if he was hearing the news all over again.

Remus didn't know what to do, but as Harry yawned and stretched, he noticed something. Harry's nose was shorter than James' had been. He looked closer. James' jaw had been stronger, but Harry's cheek bones were more prominent. He looked shorter than James had been, Remus could tell that even when he was sitting down. He drummed the fingers of one hand on the table, Remus almost smiled as he remembered how Lily had hated it when Sirius fidgeted with his hands. When Florean Fortescue came over to take away the cup, Harry looked like he was thanking him.

Remus realised that Harry had his own personality and traits. He wasn't just a copy of James or Lily. Remus knew how unfair the world could be, yet he wasn't even giving young Harry the chance. He should have looked after Harry, especially with both of his parents gone. Harry was his own man, an individual, and Remus should not let who his parents were stop him from getting to know the boy, or from teaching.

He knew what he was going to do. He walked straight past the ice-cream parlour without a second glance and carried on to the owl post office.

Once he was there, he asked for a spare piece of parchment. He knew, as he wrote the words, _I'll take the job_, that he was finally doing the right thing. As he watched the owl fly into the distance he felt a sense of anticipation and excitement for the year to come.

_**So there it is. I'm not really sure what brought this on, but I hope it's not too depressing. If you have the time, please review.**_


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